Egypt deploys army to enforce curfew and quell protests

The government of Egypt has sent the Army to enforce a strict curfew and clamp down on protests. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The government of Egypt has sent the army to enforce a curfew to quell protests. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is due to address the protests amid calls for him to resign. Mohamed Elbaradei, his chief political opponent, is said to have been placed on house arrest.

Protests in Egypt prompt army to enforce curfew

The government of Egypt has sent army personnel into major cities to enforce a strict curfew in an effort to curb political unrest, according to CNN. Over the past few weeks, the nation of Egypt has been paralyzed by massive political protests and popular unrest. Army units have been sent into Cairo, Alexandria and Suez in order to enforce a 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. Protesters have clashed with police and Egyptian security forces for days over stagnant economic conditions and encroachments on civil liberties. The government has seized cameras and video equipment and closed the offices of Al Jazeera, the largest news network in the Middle East. The Egyptian government has also cut all internet access, notably blocking any access to social networking sites.

Hosni Mubarak to address the nation

Hosni Mubarak, the President of Egypt, is due to address the nation to deal with the protests. Many are calling for him to leave, though it isn’t known if he will willingly resign and leave, as the president did in the recent government shakeup in Tunisia. Mubarak has been president of Egypt since 1981, and he was democratically re-elected in 2005. As of Friday, Jan. 28, protests and demonstrations have been declared illegal, according to the Christian Science Monitor. A presidential election is scheduled in September, which some believe will be a a rigged re-election of Mubarak or installation of his son Gamal Mubarak into power.

Chief political rival arrested

One of the greatest political rivals to Hosni Mubarak is Nobel Laureate Mohamed Elbaradei. Elbaradei, aka Baradei, is the leader of the opposition party, and went to Cairo to take part in the protests. Elbaradei was seized by authorities and has been reportedly placed under house arrest for the time being. Elbaradei has said that he would lead or assist any transition government if asked by the people to do so.